Dombrowski can offer customized treatments to fibromyalgia patients for whom chronic pain is an issue. They could try to diagnose it themselves and treat the symptoms to see if that helps. One of the reasons that fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose is that doctors spend time and resources searching for diseases that could be causing all of the various symptoms of fibromyalgia, says Dr. Seeing a rheumatologist or doctor who is experienced in treating fibromyalgia patients may accelerate your time to getting diagnosed.
While someone with, say, RA can often point to a specific body part like the hand that has swelling, redness, and stiffness in addition to pain, someone with fibromyalgia tends to experience widespread pain and tenderness in larger areas, like specific quadrants of the body. Some people with fibromyalgia experience tingling or burning sensations, along with pain, in areas of the body, as well as significant fatigue.
People can have fibro at the same time as other diseases, such as inflammatory arthritis or osteoarthritis. A scenario is that a patient might have a diagnosis of RA and is taking medication that reduces inflammation but still experiences pain.
In this case, the pain may be due to fibro or something else rather than from the RA. One study published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases found that 14 percent of the RA patients who participated in the research also fulfilled fibromyalgia criteria. If you have RA or OA and think you might also have fibromyalgia, bring it up to your rheumatologist to see if they can treat those symptoms of fatigue and overall pain as well.
They will likely want to know about specific pain, sensitivity, and tenderness that you feel in certain areas of the body. In addition, your doctor should also ask about other symptoms, since fibromyalgia commonly coexists with other seemingly unrelated health issues, including irritable bowel syndrome IBS , jaw pain from clenching , headaches, frequent urination, and anxiety or depression.
However, more recent criteria have downplayed the role of the tender points in clinching a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Wolfe — suggests using questionnaires that assess pain and related symptoms, called the widespread pain index WPI and symptom severity scale SSS. The SSS assesses how the pain feels in terms of fatigue, cognitive symptoms, and how you feel when you wake up, on a scale of 0 no problems to 3 severe and continuous.
They would apply pressure to 18 sometimes 19 specific points on the body where fibromyalgia patients tend to experience more pain and sensitivity. The tender points, which occur on both sides of the body, include:. Now the tender point counting method is not recognized as a standardized measure for diagnosing fibromyalgia and determining whether the condition is getting better or worse. You can have fibromyalgia without having pain in these specific tender points.
There is no specific blood test to diagnose fibromyalgia. These can include:. Pay attention to their answers and your gut when listening to their answers. A good doctor will spend time answering your questions.
They should be willing to work as partners in your healthcare team, suggesting treatments that work best for you and your lifestyle. Both in-person and online recommendations can help. A local fibromyalgia support group is your best bet for finding high-quality recommendations for local fibromyalgia doctors. Find a group in your area here. And know that certain doctors match better with certain people. Always go with your gut.
You can also use review-based sites to find local doctors. We discuss this in-depth in a recent article on finding doctors near you. Talk to them and ask for recommendations for specialists in your area.
You have treatment options. A fibro expert with Mayo Clinic , Connie A. Luedtke, R. She notes:. They need to make their own health a priority. These include:. But, there are therapies that can help reduce your symptoms and get back to your life. To find a pain specialist who treats fibromyalgia in your area, click the button below. Weekly updates on conditions, treatments, and news about everything happening inside pain medicine. View Larger Image. What kind of doctor treats fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is real. Pain specialist For those with moderate or severe symptoms of fibromyalgia, a pain specialist may be your best choice. Neurologist Finally, some patients also see a neurologist for help diagnosing and treating their fibromyalgia. Do you experience widespread musculoskeletal pain? Do you often experience extreme fatigue, problems sleeping, cognitive disturbances, or mood disorders? Fibromyalgia is a common cause of widespread musculoskeletal pain, affecting connective tissues, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
People with fibromyalgia often experience chronic and persistent pain that is usually described as a deep muscular ache with associated soreness, stiffness, burning, and throbbing sensations. The pain may be confined to specific areas, often the neck and shoulders, early in the course of the disease. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, though it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and emotional factors.
It is estimated that approximately percent of the general population has fibromyalgia, and the chance of developing this disease is increased eightfold in family members of a person with fibromyalgia compared to the general population. Similar genetic factors are noted in people with a history of irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and migraines.
Fibromyalgia is the most common cause of generalized, musculoskeletal pain in women between the ages of 20 and 55 years and is six times more prevalent in women. It is characterized by multiple symptoms, including:. Fortunately, while there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, there are multiple modalities that can be used in a stepwise approach to reduce the most prevalent symptoms. A combination of effective treatments consisting of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies, including physical therapy, can help patients feel better and improve overall health.
Our Nashville rheumatologists can help diagnose patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are physicians specializing in musculoskeletal and immune diseases such as osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain, tendonitis, and lupus. While everyone experiences occasional muscle and joint pains, long term muscle and joint pain that does not improve with rest may need further evaluation.
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Wolfe F, et al. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Goldman L, et al. Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and myofascial pain. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Elsevier; Accessed Aug. Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Fibromyalgia adult. Mayo Clinic; Goldenberg DL. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of fibromyalgia in adults. Mohabbat AB expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Harte SE, et al. The neurobiology of central sensitization. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research. See also Acupuncture Antidepressant withdrawal: Is there such a thing?
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